Labor say excessive demountables in schools highlight need for new school in Dapto

But at this stage the only primary school serving the community is ‘’currently bursting at the seams’’, with 12 demountable classrooms required to accommodate Dapto Public School’s 709 students.

The NSW Opposition wants this scenario to change and has called on the Berejiklian Government to commit to building more schools in West Dapto.

NSW Shadow Minister for Education, Jihad Dib and Shellharbour MP Anna Watson dropped by the school on Thursday  to highlight the ‘’excessive use’’ of demountables in local schools and West Dapto’s impending infrastructure needs.

Figures obtained by the NSW Opposition under Freedom of Information laws reveal the amount of demountable classrooms in NSW schools has risen to 4665.

The figures show that in Shellharbour there are 36 demountable classrooms clogging up precious playground space across seven schools.

Dapto Public School has the greatest number, with 12 demountables. Enrolments at the school are also expected to reach 1065 by 2036 but the Government has not released any plans to build another school in the area.

In May 2017, Parliamentary Secretary for Education and for the Illawarra, Kiama MP Gareth Ward, commended Ms Watson for her advocacy on educational infrastructure for West Dapto.

But neither Mr Ward or NSW Education Minister Rob Stokes have made a commitment to build new schools in the area.

Mr Dib said Labor pledged in 2015 to invest $44 million to build an educational precinct for West Dapto.

‘’We’ve learned in this year’s Budget Estimates hearings that this government seems to be more focused on selling education land and facilities rather than building schools for the future,’’ he said.

Ms Watson said West Dapto was one of the largest growth areas in NSW and the community deserved long-term planning and actual investment in local educational infrastructure.

‘’The excessive use of demountables in our schools is a sign of poor planning and short-sightedness by this Government. If the projected figures for Dapto Public School prove true, in the next 20 years the number of demountables on site could be set to double,’’ she said.

The top five Shellharbour schools with the highest number of demountable classrooms on site are: